What is the definition of grace in the Bible?
Modern-day Christians love to use the word “grace” a lot. We get the word from the Bible. We see that God has grace for us and that we should have grace for others.
Many of us who grew up with the word “grace” probably haven’t given it much thought, but if you’re new to the Christian faith or just started thinking about grace, you might be wondering exactly what grace means.
What is grace in the Bible?
The word we translate to grace in English versions of the Bible forms from two different words:
Chesed — This is the ancient Hebrew word used in the Old Testament. It means to speak of deliverance from enemies and affliction.
Charis — This is the word used in the New Testament. It refers to God’s salvation of humankind.
The word is used throughout the Scriptures, especially in the New Testament; we frequently see it used in reference to how God loves His creation even when they don’t deserve it. A great example of grace in application is in the letter to the Ephesians:
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
— Ephesians 2:7-10 (MSG)
When thinking of what grace is in the Bible, it can be easiest to sum it up with the words of author Paul Zahl: “Grace is unconditional love toward a person who does not deserve it.”
This definition applies to God’s grace for us. It applies to the kind of grace we can have for others. We encourage you to think about what this means for you and how you can apply it in your life.
Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey
At Centerpoint, our community believes in grace from God and grace for others. We would love to walk with you on your journey in discovering what grace means and building a deeper relationship with the Lord. We hope to meet you at one of our three services on Sunday morning in Valrico, Florida.